Tag: Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers flex muscles in finale to sweep the Giants 11-5

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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yoshi Tsutsugo hits an RBI-single in the top of the second inning at Oracle Park against the San Francisco Giants on Sun May 23, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-It took until the series finale to see why the Los Angeles Dodgers are the defending World Champions, and have won the last eight National League Western Division Championships.

Gavin Lux hit a grand slam as part of a seven-run third inning, as the Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 11-5 before a crowd of 13,346 at Oracle Park.

With the victory, the Dodgers swept the Giants and leapfrogged them into second place, a game behind the San Diego Padres and the Giants, who entered the weekend in first place, are now in third place and two games behind the Padres.

Julio Urias was cruising along, as he was perfect until Mike Tauchman beat out an infield dribbler with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. After Urias struck out Caleb Baragar for the second out of the inning, Austin Slater broke up the shutout, when he hit a two-run home run, he then gave up a single to Donovan Solano before getting Mike Yastrzemski out on strikes.

Urias went six innings, allowing two runs on three hits, he did not walk a batter and struck out 10 to improve to 7-1 on the season. This was the third career double figure strikeout game for Urias, and the previous two also came this season.

On the other hand, it was a rough day for Anthony DeSclafani, as he last 2.2 innings, allowing 10 runs on nine hits, walking three and striking out three and saw his record fall to 4-2 on the season.

It was in that third inning, that the Dodgers blew the game open, as they batted around scored seven runs on five hits and the big blow was the Lux grand slam and it was the second grand slam of the week and his career. Lux also hit a grand slam on Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.

Yoshi Tsutsugo got the Dodgers scoring going in the top of the second inning, as he singled to right field to score Will Smith. After DeSclafani was able to get DJ Peters to strikeout, Urias hit a two-run double over the head of Yastrzemski to lengthen the Dodgers lead.

Max Beaty got in on the act in the top of the third inning, as he singled to score Max Muncy, Chris Taylor then singled in Smith and after Tsutsugo grounded out for the first out of the inning, Peters was intentionally walked to bring up Urias with the bases loaded and beat out an infield hit to Beaty and then Lux unloaded them with one swing of the bat.

The Giants cut into the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, as they scored three runs in the frame. Donovan Solano hit a sacrifice fly that scored Tauchman from third base, Tauchman walked to lead off the inning, went to third on a pinch-hit double by Steven Duggar.

Slater then walked and then Solano hit a sacrifice fly to score Tauchman, and then Yastrzemski hit a two-run double to score Duggar and Slater.

Over the final 6.1 innings, the Giants allowed just one run in just two hits, walking one and striking out two.

NOTES: This rivalry between the Giants and the Dodgers that goes back to the 1890s has been one sided over the past few years.

Since September 8, 2019, the Giants are now 4-13 over the past 17 games against the Dodgers and have been outscored 100-40 during that stretch.

Sam Selman, who was optioned to Sacramento just yesterday was recalled from the Rivercats to replace Matt Wisler, who was placed on the bereavement list.

Thank you to Dodgers beat writer Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register for this tidibit.

Dennis Santana, the reliever for the Dodgers, who pitched the ninth inning in the finale is named for two basketball players, one who is a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame, and his middle name associated with a notable NBA Player and current NCAA Basketball Coach.

He is named after Dennis Rodman, who won five NBA Championships with the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls and also played for the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.

Santanas father, who is obviously a big basketball fan and his middle name is Anfernee after Anfernee Penny Hardaway, who is the current basketball coach at the University of Memphis.

UP NEXT: After an off-day on Monday, the Giants head out on the road and the trip begins with a two-game stop in Arizona against the Diamondbacks and then onto Los Angeles to face the Dodgers in a four-game series beginning on Thursday.

Kazmir makes a comeback in Giants loss; Giants drop second game to LA 6-3

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Scott Kazmir throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers line up in the first inning on Sat May 22, 2021 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-When Scott Kazmir last took the mound as a pitcher in the major leaguer, it was for the Los Angeles Dodgers and it came during the Presidency of Barack Obama.

Kazmir pitched for the Dodgers during the 2016 season, but was out of the game until 2020, when he took the mound for an independent popup league called the Constellation Energy League that was run by Roger Clemens and Greg Swindell. The 37-year old Kazmir pitched for the Reyes del Club, that was managed by former Major League pitcher Dave Eiland.

After Kazmir got the first two outs of the first inning, Max Muncy launched his ninth home run of the season, that landed in McCovey Cove and it helped the Dodgers defeat the San Francisco Giants 6-3 before a crowd of 13,660 at Oracle Park.

Kazmir ended up going four innings, allowing one run on two hits, and striking out two. Muncy also singled off of Kazmir in the top of the fourth inning with one out.

Walker Buehler was cruising for the Dodgers until he got into a jam in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Brandon Crawford led off the inning with a double, then after Brandon Belt stuck out for the first out of the inning, Evan Longoria then hit a bloop single that sent Crawford to third base.

Alex Dickerson then got the Giants on the board, as he singled in Crawford, which brought Mauricio Dubon to the plate as the tying run, but Buehler was able to strikeout Dubon and then ended the inning, when struck out pinch-hitter Darin Ruf to end the threat.

Buehler went seven innings, allowing one run on six hits, walking one and striking out five and raised his record to 3-0 on the season.

The Dodgers got their second run of the game, when Austin Barnes hit his first home run of the season in the top of the fifth inning that stretched the lead up to 2-0.

They added two more runs in the top of the seventh inning, as Max Beaty doubled into the right field corner and when Mike Yastrzemski was unable to handle the ball for an error, Gavin Lux, after he led off the inning with a single. Beaty scored the second run of the inning, as DJ Peters singled.

The Dodgers put the game away in the top of the eighth inning, as they tacked on two more runs, when Albert Pujols singled to center field that scored Justin Turner and sent Muncy to second base. Muncy singled for his third hit of the afternoon in four at-bats.

Buster Posey tried to make a game of it in the bottom of the eighth inning, as he hit his ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot that cut the Dodgers lead down to 6-3. Yastrzemski walked just prior to the Posey home run.

NOTES: Prior to the game, the contract for Kazmir was selected from Sacramento, while Sam Selman was optioned to Sacramento and Braden Bishop was designated for assignment.

UP NEXT: Anthony DeSclafani will take the mound in the series finale for the Giants, while Julio Urias will toe the rubber for the Dodgers.

Bauer allows just two hits in Dodgers victory 2-1

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Los Angeles Dodger Trevor Bauer leaves after being relieved in the top of the seventh inning cupping his ear as if to say ” I can’t hear you” to the Oracle Park crowd in San Francisco on Fri May 21, 2021 (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

Alex Wood threw one bad pitch and Chris Taylor took advantage of it and gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a huge victory.

Taylor hit a two-run home run off of Wood in the top of the third inning, as the defending World Champion Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 2-1 at Oracle Park. With the loss, the Giants saw their five-game winning streak comes to an end.

Mookie Betts doubled to center field and then Taylor hit his sixth home run of the season over the center field wall, and that would be all that Trevor Bauer would need.

Bauer, who signed a huge contract with the Dodgers during the off-season and went 6.1 innings, allowing one unearned run on just two hits, walking four and striking out 11, as he improved to 5-2 on the season.

Nate Jones and former Oakland As reliever Blake Treinen went the final 2.2 innings of perfect relief and the Giants fell into a tie for first place, as the San Diego Padres tied the Giants for first place after a win over the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park.

Treinen pitched a perfect ninth inning to notch his second save of the season for the Dodgers, who are 27-18 on the season.

Wood lost for the first time as a member of the Giants, as he went 6.0 innings, allowing those two runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out seven.

The Giants got to Bauer in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Evan Longoria reached on a Bauer throwing error that allowed Mike Yastrzemski score what turned out to be the lone Giants run of the evening.

Yastrzemski walked to lead off the inning, and then Brandon Crawford walked after Buster Posey was called out on strikes for the first out, then Brandon Belt struck out for the second out and then Longoria hit a ball that Bauer that threw away to score Yastrzemski and send Crawford to third and Longoria to second base. Unfortunately, the rally came to a screeching halt, as Alex Dickerson flew out to Betts to end the inning.

That would be the last chance for the Giants, who could muster anything against Nate Jones and Treinen

NOTES: Despite the loss, the Giants have now been in first place for 26 consecutive days, their longest streak since spending 93 consecutive days in first place from mid-May to mid-August of 2016. Over the past four seasons from 2017-2020, the Giants spent only three days in first place in the National League West.

Nick Tropeano was selected from Sacramento, while Camilo Doval was sent to Sacramento and Trevor Hildenberger was designated for assignment.

During the Giants 19-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday afternoon at Great American Ballpark, it was just the fourth time since the Giants moved to California in 1958 that scored at least 19 runs and hit four or more home runs in the same game.

The Giants last accomplished the feat on September 1, 2020 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, when they scored 23 runs and hit four home runs, the Giants scored 19 runs and hit four home runs also at Coors Field on July 1, 2019 against the Rockies. The first time they turned the trick was on July 9, 1988 against the St. Louis Cardinals at Candlestick Park, when they scored 21 runs and hit five home runs.

UP NEXT: The Giants have yet to announce a starter for Saturday afternoon, while Walker Buehler will take the mound for the Dodgers in a 4:15 start that will be shown nationally on FOX (KTVU Channel 2) with Joe Davis and John Smoltz on the call.

Giants day off report: Giants open four game series in Pittsburgh Thursday night

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San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi is seen here in as the Los Angeles Dodgers general manager in this Nov 9, 2016 photo said that he will be looking for left handed hitting for the Giants when the trade deadline comes around in July (AP News file photo)

By Jessica Kwong

The San Francisco Giants enjoyed a day off on Wednesday after a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday to sweep the two-game series and safeguard their spot at the top of the NL West. They now lead the San Diego Padres by two games and the Los Angeles Dodgers by three games.

Holding a 22-14 record, the Giants are tied at the most wins with the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland A’s and Boston Red Sox. San Francisco and St. Louis, with a .611 win percentage, are the best in the league.

The Giants are on the road to face the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds before returning to Oracle Park to host the defending champion Dodgers. First pitch for Thursday’s game at PNC Park is at 3:35 p.m.

On Tuesday, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi spoke about the MLB trade deadline more than two months away, in light of how well the team is doing now. Zaidi said that last year the organization talked quite a bit about adding a left-handed bat which could have been the difference. The Giants ended up finishing last season a pitch away from making the playoffs.

“A lot of the best pieces in July are if you add a complementary piece that really addresses an area of need and can really clean up the roster. We’ll be looking at all those things,” Zaidi said on KNBR’s “Tolbert, Krueger & Brooks” show.

“It’s really early and I don’t see ourselves positioning as a buyer or a seller, but we’re in this to be competitive,” he continued. “You like to reward a clubhouse and a group that’s playing well like the way our guys are right now.”

The Giants spent much of Tuesday also celebrating a home run by right fielder Drew Robinson in their Triple-A affiliate Sacramento River Cats. Robinson’s solo homer in the top of the second inning was cheered across the minor and major leagues because it was his first since he lost an eye in an attempted suicide in April 2020.

— _

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Is the Giants vs. Dodgers Rivalry being replaced?

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One of the most famous moments in the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers rivalry came in 1965 when Dodgers catcher John Roseboro (center) threw a ball past the ear of San Francisco Giants hitter Juan Marichal (left) and he came out swinging the bat on Roseboro’s head, Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax tried to intervene (ESPN still file photo)

Is the Giants vs. Dodgers Rivalry being replaced? 

That’s Amaury News and Commentary 

By Amaury Pi-González

 With the recent ascent of the San Diego Padres, who fully reloaded their team and spend big bucks during the off-season, it should be asked.  Is the Giants vs. Dodgers rivalry still tops in the National League. The SF vs. LA rivalry is one of the oldest in major league baseball, second only to the Yankees-Red Sox and in between the Cardinals and Cubs, and it continued when both teams moved to California in 1958.

From the early 1960’s Candlestick Park in the Bayview-Hunters Point, to the current Oracle Park something very interesting has been happening.  When the Giants host the Dodgers, Giants fans come out in droves to root their team and with the “Beat LA” chant you hear it all the time at Oracle.  

However, when it is the other way around, when the Giants played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Dodger fans are just there to root for their team but show not much passion against the Giants, the Giants became like any other team that is playing at Dodger Stadium.

Obviously there is a contingency of Giants fans that make the trips to LA as well as Dodgers fans who reciprocate. Maybe it is because Giants fans are more passionate, or is it an envy factor?  The Dodgers have won six World Series since they moved from Brooklyn to LA, while the Giants three in SF since they moved from the Polo Grounds in the Big Apple.  

Could it be the envy of success the main factor for Giants fans who hate the Dodgers with a passion?  It is all good, competition and passion should be part of the game. It is true that Dodgers fans usually leave games earlier at Dodger Stadium, it is the culture, LA is a car culture, the long commute, millions of cars in the freeways all the time, it is understandable.  

Most of the time the Giants vs. Dodgers rivalry has been a great one from New York to California. With some rare exceptions of violence among fans, most of the time is has been a healthy rivalry. Today the San Diego Padres, who have never won a World Series since they began as a major league franchise in San Diego in 1969, are considered one of the elite clubs in the game. 

All because, this past winter the San Diego Padres were the busiest team in baseball acquiring great talent, with the ownership opening their check books, definitely they are a team looking to go all the way and win that elusive first World Series. Padre’s shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. is one of the great talents in the game today and a franchise player who generates emotion and passion with his flair and style of play.

Yet, with all that talent the Padres have the pressure now to perform and win, because although on paper they look very solid, you do not play on paper, you play on the field. The Padres could replace the Giants as the ‘número uno’ rivalry against the Dodgers in the next few years.

Things evolve, there is a new generation of fans in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, the tradition of the rivalry still remains, while San Diego is soon becoming a hot bed for baseball. Yet, the Padres have not won the hardware they need to brag a little, like the World Series trophy.

 This 2021 season the Padres are going for it and the Giants are trying to compete inside a division the Dodgers have owned for eight consecutive years. No, the Giants are not rebuilding per say, but in a couple of years guys like Posey, Crawford, Belt and so on could be gone and then they will have to work on a system where they can content with the Dodgers.  

The Padres look much stronger than any other team in the western division, except the Dodgers. There is a re-alignment of rivalries starting this 2021, one is the Dodgers vs. Padres, and in the American League the old Yankee vs. Red Sox is more now, the Yankees vs. Rays. My grandfather Armando used to tell me, “Amaury, time changes things, nothing stays the same.”  He was correct. 

Amaury Pi Gonzaelz is the Spanish lead play by play announcer for the Oakland A’s on 1010 KIQI LaGrande San Francisco and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: A’s avoid homestand sweep; Open five game road trip tonight

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The Houston Astros Myles Straw (3) reaches second base as the Oakland A’s shortstop Elvis Andrus (left) can’t make the catch on a throwing error by third baseman Matt Chapman (right) on Sun Arp 4, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

#1 The Oakland A’s just got by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon with a ten inning 4-3 win to close the three game series and homestand at the Oakland Coliseum.

#2 The A’s got runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie it up and got the game winner in the last of the tenth on Mitch Mooreland’s hit to center right scoring Mark Canha from second base it had to be a huge relief before heading out for the road trip.

#3 Jerry from the looks of things in the first two games of the Dodger series the Dodgers winning game one 10-3 and winning game two 5-1 there was this fear the A’s could go down 0-7 to open up their first regular week of the season but just got by the Dodgers on Wednesday 4-3 in extra innings.

#4 This is A’s team has the players to be better than a last place team, with Mooreland, Canha, Matt Chapman, Ramon Laureano, Sean Murphy, Yusmeiro Petit and Elvis Andrus it’s a good enough core of players to take the A’s to the post season.

#5 Jerry, let’s take a look at tonight’s starting pitchers at Minute Maid Field in Houston for the A’s Cole Irvin 0-1 ERA 8.31 who took a tough loss against the Astros allowing four runs and seven hits and for the Astros Cristian Javier who allowed two runs on three hits against the A’s on Friday night at the Coliseum.

Jerry Feitelberg does the A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg Thu Apr 8, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud

A’s finally snap skid edge Dodgers in extras 4-3

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Mark Chapman (26) of the Oakland A’s gets congratulated from third base coach Mark Kotsay (7) after hitting a seventh inning home run on Wed Apr 7, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

Los Angeles (NL). 3-8-0

Oakland. 4-5-0

Ten innings

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Tuesday night, the Oakland Athletics were thwarted in their seemingly unending quest for their first victory of the 2021 season. The thwarter in chief was Los Angeles Dodger Clayton Kershaw, who, after retiring, will be a viable candidate for the Hall of Fame.

Wednesday afternoon the A’s snapped their losing streak at six games with a 4-3 ten inning win over the Dodgers. The bleary eyed hometown squad had to face a less daunting figure but one still deserving of respect and capable of causing concern. Trevor Bauer, although he stood at 1-1, 5.66 for this season, was, and will be until after the last out of the world series, the reigning National League Cy Young winner. He achieved that honor by leading the senior circuit in the following categories: ERA (1.73), WHIP (O.79), opponents’ BA (.159), hits/nine innings (5.06), and shutouts (2).

Those two shutouts tied him for first place in complete games. He did this for Cincinnati. Two months ago, he signed with the Dodgers for a reported three-year, $102 million contract. Before today, his lifetime record against Oakland stood at 1-4, 3.72. He was 0-3, 3.25 at the Coliseum.

The A’s sent their promising but as yet unproved left handed youngster Jesús Luzardo to face Los Angeles’ fearsome lineup. Luzardo’s numbers going into the game were distressing but hid a mitigating factor. Although he was an unprepossing 0-1, 9.00, he struck out eight Astros in only five innings of work. That’s more than he’d struck out in any of his previous big league appearances. Of course, his having gone only five frames is no cause for reassurance.

Tuesday, the A’s announced a couple of transactions, but neither involved $102 million over three years. They placed relievers Burch Smith and Reymin Gudjuan on the injured list and recalled pitcher Jeremy Weems, as I reported Tuesday night, and outfielder Seth Brown from the alternate site in Stockton.

Wednesday started out in a way the Oakland faithful are beginning to find annoyingly repetitious; the visitors jumped out to a first inning one run lead. Chris Taylor led off with a walk. Corey Seager followed suit, moving Taylor up to second.

It seemed as if the A’s might emerge unscathed after Luzardo set down Justin Turner and Will Smith on strikes. But A.J. Pollock lined a single to center, plating Taylor and moving Seager into scoring position at second. A walk to Max Muncy filled the bases Dodgers, but the A’s young southpaw got Austin Barnes to fly out

The newly promoted Seth Brown made a spectacular catch of Austin Barnes’ bid for a leadoff homer in the top of the fourth, leaping and leaning over the Ring Central sign in left field to haul down what looked like a sure four bagger. In addition to keeping the score at 1-0, Brown’s heroic grab extended Luzardo’s string of five batters faced without allowing a baserunner. That streak eventually reached seven.

Ramón Laureano manufactured the tying run for Oakland in the bottom of that that frame. He led off with a walk, stole second and third,, and then, with Brown at the plate, scored on a wild pitch. Brown almost put Oakland ahead with a line drive into the right field seats, but it landed foul. He then took a called third strike to end the inning.

Luzardo reached 104 pitches, 62 for strikes, before being lifted in the top of the sixth after granting a passport to Muncy, who advanced to second on a single to left by Barnes. Luzardo’s replacement, Adam Kolarek, reitired Lux on a grounder to first, unassisted, that moved both runners up a base. Then Zach McKinstry hit a hard ground ball that Chapman handled cleanly and, diving into third, tagged Barnes trying to reach that base. But Muncy already had crossed the plate, and Los Angeles taken a 2-1 lead.

Luzardo was charged with that second run, so when he went to the showers he was on the hook for two earned runs on five hits and four walks. He reduced his ERA to 6.10.

Although Oakland’s two young hurlers, Luzardo and Kolarek, had performed adequately, veteran Segio Romo did not. He opened the top of the seventh by hitting Taylor with a slow slider and then yielding a single to center by Seager. Turner’s subsequent double drove in Taylor and sent Seager to third. Then Romo hidt his striode. He got the remaining batters he faced, with an intentional pass to Muncy thrown in, but Oakland now was trailing 3-1.

Still, the A’s battled back. Chapman started it by blasting his first home run of the young, frustrating season, a definitive smash over the center field fence. Bauer got Brown to strike out looking but surrended a single to Piscotty before fanning Andrus. That finished the day for Bauer.

Corey Knebel took over mound duties, and Sean Murphy pinch hit for Aramis García, and Tony Kemp pinch ran for Piscotty at second after Murphy’s base on balls. It was all for naught; Kenebel caught Canha looking to end the threat. Oakland had inched closer to Los Angeles (at least on the scoreboard) and now trailed 3-2.

Bauer’s line was 110 pitches, 67 for strikes in 6-2/3 IP. Two runs, both earned, on three hits, one out of the park, and only one walk but two hit batters. He notched ten Ks.

Cory pitched an inning, spanning the final out of the seventh and the first two outs of the eighth, before giving way to Víctor González, who came in to face Moreland with the bases empty and closed out the inning.

Jake Dieckman pitched a perfect top of the eighth and was lifted for Lou Trivino after Seager led off the ninth with a ground single to left. Trivino promptly walked Turner on four pitches. He threw two more to Smith before getting a strike called on Smith, who eventually flew out to right, advancing Seager to third.

After a long at bat, the A’s reliever induced Pollock to fly to Brown, now playing right, in right center field while the runners held their bases. He walked Muncy on a full count to clog the base paths with Dodger blue before fanning Edwin Ríos to keep Oakland in contention.

Of course, that meant they’d have to face the nearly impenetrable Kenley Jansen. Chapman, who seems to have found his stroke, led off with a solid single to center. Brown’s walk put men on first and second. Kemp sacrificed Chappy to third and pinchrunner Ka’ai Tom to second.

Then as I was taught to say in high school Latin, Elvis Andrus lifted a sac fly to right that knotted up the score with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. A walk to Murphy brought Canha to the plate. Unforunately, he grounded out to short.

Yusmeiro Petit came in to start the first extra inning of the A’s season. That, in itself, was a triumph of sorts. Ríos was the runner placed on second. He stayed there as Lux flew out to Laureano and McKinstry flew out to Kemp, now playing left. Taylor then lifted a fly to short right field.

Tom, who had replaced Brown in that position, made a long charge to the fence near the pitchers’ mounds in the visitors’ bull pen behind first base, got his glove on the ball (or vice versa), but couldn’t hold on to it. Undaunted, Petit struck Taylor out on a curve.

Jimmy Nelson took over on the mound and Canha took second to start the home tenth.

After a ten pitch at bat, Lowrie walked, which helped Oakland only because he didn’t make an an out. Canha still was on second, and force plays now were possible. The A’s needed only one run. They came closer to getting it when Laureano’s fly to deep center allowed Canha reach third, bringing Moreland to the plate. Moreland came through, lacing a single to right center that brought in Canha.

The A’s had won, and in what a fashion!

Petit got the win. He pitched one inning of perfect ball, in which he threw ten pitches. Nelson got tagged with the loss and was charged with one run, which was unearned because it was scored by the placed runner.

The A’s left for Houston right after the game. After playing three games against the Astros, they´ll move on to a two game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They return to torture. They will return to Oakland to face Detroit on Thursday the 15.

Kershaw holds off A’s hitting for 5-1 victory; A’s losing streak hits six

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Los Angeles Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw throwing in the first inning against the Oakland A’s on Tue Apr 6, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

Los Angeles (NL). 5-11-1

Oakland. 1-5-0

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Monday night, the Oakland A’s were stimyed by Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dustin May, a young right handed pitcher just entering his prime. Tuesday night, they had to deal with the offerings of Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, a veteran lefty who likely will be a candidate for the Hall of Fame, but who was 0-1, 7.04 going into the game for the 4-1 NL West leading Dodgers. Kershaw’s starting performance stopped any A’s hitting for a 5-1 victory.

Facing him for the blue and gold was the irregularly effective right hander Chris Bassitt, bringing an 0-1, 5,06 record into his second start of the season. Bassitt is like the little girl with a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. When he is good, he is very, very good, but when he is bad ….

The Athletics’ line-up presented a few noticeable changes from theilr recent ones. Ramón Laureano was back in action, batting third. The slumping Matt Olson, was replaced at first base by the also slumping Mitch Moreland, battingi n the seventh slot.

The new aliignment produced one early welcome outcome. For the first time this year Oakland led after one inning. Jed Lowrie, who usually plays second, batted in that position, replacing Moreland as DH, while Tony Kemp took over at Lowrie’s customary position in the field.

Lowrie’s new assignment and Laureano’s return produced immediate results. After the former’s one out double to center field, the latter blasted another, this one to right center, putting the home team up by a run and markiing the first time in 2021 that they had drawn first blood.

That was too good to be true for long, and it wasn’t. Edwin Ríos led off the top of the second with a sharp single to center. A walk to Gavin Lux moved him up a notch, and Austin Barnes’s resounding double to left drove him in. Bassitt managed to escape that inning without allowing any more scoring, thanks largely to a great defensive play by Moreland on Seager’s scorcher down the first base line to close out the frame.

The Dodgers added another three runs in the top of the third, bringing the score up to 4-1 on Turner’s second straight two bagger, Muncy’s two run long ball to right, followed two batters later by Ríos’s homer to right center.

Stephen PIscotty’s blast into the the left field second deck in the bottom of the fourth almost reduced LA’s lead to 4-2, but it was called foul after a video review.

Bassitt got his act together and pitched well until he was removed after having thrown 102 pitches, 65 for strikes, over six innings. All four of the runs he allowed were earned, and they came on nine hits. He had four strikeouts to show against one walk and a hit batter. HIs undoing was the two home runs he surrendered. At game’s end his record stood at 0-2, 5,56.

Lou Trivino was his replacement. He set the Dodgers down in order, including one punch out, before yielding to Yusmeiro Petit at the top of the eighth.

Piscotty hit the ball well in the bottom of the seventh when, after having just missed a home run in his previous AB, he drove a 86 mph slider against the left center field fence for his first hit of the night. Moreland grounded out to first to end the inning and Kershaw’s night’s work.

His performance had been outstanding. 61 of his 91 pitches were strikes. He gave one run, earned, on four hits, didn’t walk anyone and strudk out eight Athletics. One-time Oakland closer Blake Treinen relieved him at the beginning of the eighth and retired the side while yielding a walk to Kemp, who stole second.

Jordan Weems, recalled today from the A’s alternate site in Stockton, pitched the ninth for them. He yielded Mookie Betts’ first home run of the season, a slam over the State Farm advertisement in left centerfiled on an 94 mph four seamer. He got his other three batters out, two on strikeouts.

Laureano’s leadoff single in the ninth knocked Treinen out of the box. He passed the ball to LA’s closer, Kenley Jansen. Laureano’s steal of second, followed by two fly outs to right, one a warning track drive by Murphy, made things interesting. But Moreland’s pop out to Lux in shallow right ended the game.

The win brought Kereshaw’s ERA down to 4.26 and evened his won-loss record at 1-1.

The two teams will go at it again at 12:37 tomorrow afternoon, with right hander Trevor Bauer (1-0, 5.68) matching arms with southpaw Jesús Luzardo (0-1,9.00).

A’s drop fifth straight game; Dodgers open up series with 10-3 win

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It’s been that kind of a homestand for the Oakland A’s as the hot corner is too hot for A’s third baseman Matt Chapman who can’t handle a hard hit ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Oakland Coliseum on Mon Apr 5, 2021 (AP News photo)

Los Angeles (NL). 10-14-1

Oakland. 3- 6 -1

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–In every one of Oakland’s four season opening loses to Houston, there was at least one point at which the A’s could have either burst the game open in their favor or convert a seemingly commanding Astros lead into a tight match. In every case, the failure to capitalize on Houston’s momentary vulnerability turned the series into a festival of blown chances. Tonight, Oakland didn’t even come close.

In a sense, the A’s pitching staff is emblematic of the team’s inability to make the potential actual. A.J. Puk, Jesús Luzardo and Sean Manaea are young hurlers of tremendous talent, just short of unlocking the door to success. Tonight’s starter against the 3-1 Los Angeles Dodgers, Frankie Montás is another member of that group seeking to take the final step into the role of reliable top of the line starter.

He went 9-2, 2.63 in 2019, the last time MLB played a full season. MLB’s season lasted 162 games, but Montas’s didn’t; the was suspended for 80 days, June 21 to September 24, for drug use. He seemed ready to resume his progress last year, ready enough to be the A’s (delayed) opening day starter and be named the AL’s player of the week for August 3-9.

But he missed his next start because of back troubles and didn’t pitch well again until the final game of the regular (if you can say that about 2020) season. He won a wild card series game in relief and pitched well for three innings in the last game of the division series only to fall apart in the fourth frame to take the loss.

During this year’s spring training, he lost time to a stint on the covid list. As if that weren’t enough, Montás was forced to leave the last start of his abbreviated Cactus League season with a cuticle tear on the middle finger of his right, pitching, hand.

His performance tonight did nothing to advance his career. And the A’s anemic hitting did nothing to offset his disappointing mound work.

Dustin May, the starter for the NL West leading Dodgers , already seems to have established himself as a front line hurler. Promoted after 15 starts for AA Tulsa to AAA Oklahoma City, Los Angeles called him to the show in mid 2019. He went 3-1, 2.57 and threw 3-1/3 innings against the Nationals in the division series, yielding three hits and a run, for an ERA of 2. 70.

Last year, still technically a rookie, he was the Dodgers’ opening day starter. In that assignment, he gave up one run, this time in 4-1/3 frames. He went on to finish the season at 3-1, 2.57, with 16 walks against 44 strike outs. Among National League pitchers who went 50 or more innings, he ranked eighth in ERA, 13th in opponents’ BA (.222), and tied for 12th in WHIP at 1.09. He faced the A’s once, on September 22, and beat them.

His post seson record was more extensive than it had been a year earlier. He made three starts and four relief appearances, with combined totals of 1-0,4.22, and 13 punch outs. The Dodgers’ game notes report that he went 3-0 , 2.37, with 21 strikeouts and four walks in four starts and one relief stint in spring training this year. His four seamer was the fastest of any major league pitcher with 40 IP or more, an average of 99.1 mph.

Los Angeles jumped off to a fairly early and fairly significant lead in the top of the second. With one out, Max Muncy hit an opposite field single to left. Then Chris Taylor lifted a fly to medium left field that eluded a diving Tony Kemp, subbing for the ailing Chad Pinder. After a walk to Edwin Ríos loaded the bases, Zach McKinstry´s sac fly to left drove in the first run of the game.

Then, Matt Chapman couldn’t handle Mookie Betts’ hard smash down the third base line. That infield hit reloaded the bases, and Corey Singer unloaded them with a double off the centerfield wall, to the right of the STREAM YOUR A’S sign. The A’s now were down, 4-0.

Will Smith promptly made it 5-0 with his line drive that curved around the left field foul line on a 2-2 88 mph spliterfast with one down in the visitor’s third. Muncy followed that with a single to center, and then Montás plunked Taylor to put men on first and second. After another out, McKinstry´s single to right brought in Muncy with the Angelinos´ seventh run. A walk to Betts, and Montás was through for the night. AJ Puk relieved him, making his season debut.

Montás´s ugly line for 2-2/3 innings was seven runs, all earned, on seven hits, a home run, three walks, a wild pitch, and a hit batter He managed to strike out seven. Of his 90 pitches, 53 were strikes. His HBP of Taylor caused the Dodgers’ second baseman to leave the game.

Puk put out the fire in the third, but loaded the bases with two out in the fourth. He escaped unscathed thanks to second straight inning ending strkeout. When he left the game after closing out the LA sixth, his stint was your Á´s highlight for the night. In 3-1/3 innings, 35 of his 53 offerings counted as strikes.

He surrendered but one hit, but gave up three walks and a wild pitch, while striking out four. His replacement was left handed sidewinder Adam Kolarek, who gave up a run, earned, in his inning on the mound before giving way to Sergio Romo in the eighth.

May also finished up his work after the sixth. His performance had been superb. He surrendered two hits and two walks while striking out eight. His pitch count was 85, only 28 of which were balls.

Romo was tagged for a homer to center on his third pitch to Justin Taylor, the first man he faced. The A’s suffered an egregious lapse during Romo’s brief tenure. With Will Smith on first and one out, pinch hitter Matt Bealy, hit a grounder to shortstop Elvis Andrus, playing to the right of second. Andrus tried for the unassisted putout at second but bobbled the ball, leaving both batter and runner safe. Then, while none of the A’s seemed to be paying attention, Taylor advanced uncontestedly to third.

Canha saved a shred of the Athletics’ honor with a round tripper to left to lead off the bottom of the eighth off Mays’ replacement, David Price. That reduced LA’s lead to 9-1. The A’s racked up a couple of tallies more on a walk to Lowrie, a single to right by Piscotty, batting for Moreland, an infield hit by Chapman that plated Lowrie, and Ka’ai Tom’s first big league hit, an RBI single to center.

Reymin Gudjuan tried to mop up for the A’s. Both he and Cody Bellinger had to leave the game in the top of the night when they ran into each other while Bellinger was beating out a 3-1 infield single. By then the Dodgers had run the score up to 10-3. JB Wendelken was called on to try to get the last out of the inning and stop the carnage. He succeeded and, in doing so, lowered Gudjuan’s ERA to … 27.00.

Three hours and 35 minutes after the first pitch, Scott Alexander closed out the game, setting the A’s down in order.

Tomorrow’s game will start at 6:40. Clayton Kershaw (0-1, 7.94) is scheduled to face off against Chris Bassitt (0-1, 5.06).

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason: A’s hope to get back on track against Dodgers after rough Astros series

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Oakland A’s second baseman Tony Kemp makes a throw to first in the third inning to retire the Houston Astros Carlos Correa in game 3 of the four game series on Sat Apr 3, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

Barbara on the A’s podcast:

#1 Barbara for the Oakland A’s the series with the Houston Astros pure torture the A’s took four loses in the row on Thursday through Sunday.

#2 The Astros had their bats going all series long with Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, and Alex Bergman A’s pitching looked like they just couldn’t figure a way to get them out.

#3 A’s pitchers who were hit during the Houston series, A’s opening day starter Chris Bassitt five plus innings three runs, Jesus Luzardo five innings five runs, and Cole Irvin four innings four runs, Sean Manaea on Sunday over four innings plus six hits and five earned runs .

#4 A’s manager Bob Melvin was asked if he would be interested in managing another team other than the A’s after this season and he said “I have no desire to go anywhere else”

#5 The A’s will try to win a series as they host the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers who opened up the season against the Colorado Rockies and both teams played pretty even ball. Do you see the A’s recovering and maybe having a more balanced series against the Dodgers after the mismatch series they just had against the Astros?

Join Barbara for the A’s podcasts each Monday morning at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Oakland A’s podcast with Barbara Mason Mon Apr 5, 2021 by Sports Radio Service | Free Listening on SoundCloud